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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

if you read my first baby #2 wish list and you know me well... you probably already knew this post was coming! babies are just so much fun and this stage of life is so short, that I just want to embrace it completely and not regret spending a few dollars if it's gonna make my day-to-day life easier!

so, with that said... here's a few updates on my wish list and a few add-ons! i mean, as the title states… this is just a wish list! haha

first, I ended up ordered this bag from pottery barn a couple weeks ago and it's exactly perfect from what I can tell! it's big enough, but not too big. it's a great material that seems easy to clean and it has an excess of pockets! and all the mamas said 'amen!'! can't wait to use it!!

I also have pretty much decided on a stroller and neither of them are the ones I originally posted about!! after doing a lot more research, scrolling through craigslist and reading a million reviews, I decided on the baby jogger city select double. I found a great deal on craigslist and am hoping to pick it up thursday (in indianapolis). i found it for $200 off retail price and it's new in box. ptl!!!

in my original post, a new infant carseat was not even on my radar. i noticed that target was having a huge baby sale and most of their carseats were majorly discounted (20% off + add'l 20% on cartwheel). so, this got my wheels turning to just check our carseat expiration date and make sure we were good (we bought it off of craigslist before holden was born). sure enough… expired. in december! so, i set out to find a good deal and be done with it. i knew i was definitely getting another chicco, so i picked this one out at target.

what i expected to be an easy breezy process has been quite the opposite… but i will get my 40% off, so it's worth the extra hassle. basically, target was out of the chicco carseat i wanted and the cartwheel was expiring that day. my dear target said they would honor the sale price AND the expired cartwheel deal for the carseat as soon as they got more in stock. so… after me calling literally everyday for a week and being told they still didn't have any in, i just decided to ask if i could order it online and if they'd adjust the price. to my serious surprise, they agreed! what?!?!?!?! so, i'm still waiting for the carseat to arrive, but it's a) being shipped to my door (hello, no lugging it out of the store… with a toddler… trying to cram it in my car) and b) i am getting the discounts long after the sales are over. praise the lord!! i am so excited!!

i've been familiar with aden & anais swaddle blankets for awhile now, but couldn't ever bring myself to shell out the money when there was so much other stuff that i couldn't bring myself to spend the money on "fancy" blankets. well, since we'll be having a summer baby this go-round, i think some thinner blankies will be really nice and i'm hoping these will be everything i'm looking for! plus, they're super cute, aren't they??

lastly (for now)… we have a video monitor with holden that i love! since he's always had a pretty little cry… as in, i can't hear him across our little house unless i had bedroom doors open and such. so, as we plan for a new baby, i am definitely going to be picking up an additional camera for the nursery. this is something i plan to wait to get until well after the baby gets here since i plan to keep the babe in with me for awhile, but it's definitely on my checklist. as holden gets older, i know it won't be as essential to have, but it's still great to be able to see what he's doing and all that good stuff! side note: a few weeks ago, he coughed and i heard him on the camera and could see something was weird and i went in his room and he had thrown up everywhere. sure, i would have found that out eventually, but i had an idea something was wrong before i even got to him.

ok, so here's to hoping i don't need another addendum (is an addendum's addendum called something different?!)!! if you think of something that has helped your life immensely with 2 kiddos, please please please chime in!!!!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

i would say i have a little problem when it comes to beauty products. i love trying new products in hopes of finding that one little blush or hairspray that makes me go all how-did-i-ever-live-without-this for months.

with that said, i've found some duds recently and feel the need to share with a sister, so you don't wind up disappointed too! a lot of products that i pick up are done so per recommendation, but sometimes i find myself wandering through the beauty aisle picking up unnecessary goodies to try. it happens, right? :)

one of my fav bloggers recently posted about maybelline babylips and how wonderful it is. since said blogger has never led me astray and i was in the market for a new lip product, a babylips found its way into my cart with no coaxing. it's basically a tinted chapstick, which was kind of nice for an i'm-not-trying-to-look-done-up look, but the silky, buttery feeling that was left on my lips wore off within maybe 30 minutes. and then my lips felt more chapped than pre-babylips. kind of sad. and the color didn't last longer than 30 minutes either! womp womp.

moving on... eyelid primer is one of my makeup bag must-haves for sure. as in, if you don't currently use a primer on your lids, you are straight crazy! just trust me, ok? anyways, i have been a bare minerals primer girl for years, but at $18 a pop, it's not exactly cheap. worth it, but not cheap! a friend of mine recommended the elf eyelid primer and the $1 price tag was too tempting not to give it a shot. maybe i'm just spoiled with my bare minerals, but i hate the coverage of the elf primer (it's more white in color and goes on a little more thick than i prefer. plus, it isn't as forgiving because of the stronger pigment). i would've been over the stinkin moon if this was a keeper, but it's not quite up to my par!

thankfully, I feel like I've had more winners than duds lately, so I'll be posting about all my good finds soon!!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

some days, having a toddler seems like the dream age and we have a blast all day long... and then some days, you have a day like yesterday. where by 9am, you've had 3 meltdowns, 1 timeout and countless "jesus take the wheel"s muttered under my breath.

being a mama is the only job i ever truly dreamed about and even the hard days are worth it. but it doesn't make them any easier. mamas, am i right or am i right?

i feel like my sweet holden has morphed into an independent, jekyll & hyde version of himself and it seems like the transformation happened overnight. i guess that's why they call them the "terrible twos", huh?

so, on days and nights where my mama soul is just a little weary, i sulk into my couch, flip on some bachelor & have a bowl of freezer puppy chow.

Monday, February 10, 2014

weeee'rrrrree back from the lovely bahamas and were welcomed back to indiana with 9 inches of snow. nine. inches. it was sheer nonsense, but there really is no place like home and we're glad to be back in our own beds!

we cruised on a 4 night royal caribbean trip and, while i know i am 100% in the minority, i really, truly prefer carnival over RC. crazy, i know! the food, entertainment, everything is so much better on carnival!!! regardless though, it was incredible to get away sans toddler for a week (especially since a new babe will be gracing us in july)! ps... i'm not complaining that we had a vacay, we just all decided that next time we'll stick with carnival! :)

i made a point to take almost all my pics on my actual camera and not just my phone and those pics haven't been dumped to my computer yet, but here's a few from my phone! ptl for vacays!

my dear becca and i!

in nassau, we rented scooters and toured the island, hit up the market,

ate at the best local hole in the wall and ended the day at the beach!

the beauty on our scooter ride. so peaceful!

mel & joe flew down from mn to meet us for the trip and brought their sweet

elias with them (he stayed w his auntie for the week). he's pure sugar!

so glad to have gotten away for a bit, but so happy to be back and getting into the groove of things again! vacay (with or without kiddos) is necessity for my soul!

Friday, January 31, 2014

i have recently become really interested in finding the perfect lip color. one that goes with almost every outfit, isn't fussy (as in i can apply it without a mirror), has somewhat of a lasting color, etc. while i wandered through sephora last week, i browsed the nars section, bare minerals section, stila section, urban decay section... and, well, you get the idea! ;)

i tried several different lipsticks & glosses in a variety of colors and just wasn't finding one that i loved (which was annoying since i was in a store that literally only sells makeup!)! finally, i caved and asked one of the girls working to help me find "my shade" and point me in the right direction. she was so excited that i asked and went on a mission to find me the perfect lip product! she found me a couple min later and had literally like 6 swipes on her hand of different products and asked if i liked any of them. and there was one that was my dream shade, so she brought me over to the tarte section and had me try it on. it seriously was like putting butter on my lips and the color was exxxxxactly what i wanted! she wins!

i have heard of tarte before, but in case you aren't familiar with them... they are an all-natural cosmetic company and every product is infused with natural oils and vitamins. kind of cool, huh? i personally wouldn't switch to all tarte-only makeup for that reason, but if all of their products are as amaze as this lip stain, i might be in trouble!!! the shade that i went with is 'elite' and it is the perfect pink & coral goodness!

check out tarte if you haven't, but if you have... i'm dying to know what other products of theirs are as wonderful as their lipsurgence lip tint!!

ps- i didn't filter the pics of me so that you can see the real lip color! also, that amazing arrow necklace is stella & dot, of course! ;)

Thursday, January 30, 2014

i love love love reading about different products, tv shows, etc that people really like because i feel like it's a real deal recommendation for me to try it! especially if there's been something i've wanted to try or a new website i've never heard about! anyways, it's been awhile since i've posted a 'things i'm lovin' post, so i figured it was time to clue y'all in on what's keepin me a happy camper these days!

if you're an online shopper like i am, you're probably familiar with zulily or joss & main, etc. well, although i love browsing these websites and seeing if there's a good deal, i don't find as many goodies on those sites as i would hope. especially since i'm not always on top of my game and will miss the really good deals (because they're good deals and everyone else apparently thinks so, too!)! with that said, my girl jen recently told me about jane.com and it's seriously my new jam! jane is a bunch of individual shops (mostly etsy) that will list their products (lots of jewelry, hand made kiddo stuff, home stuff, etc) and it's typically priced really well. it's seriously worth checking out! they have new items each day and there's a limited number, so ya gotta act quick! i just bought these darling valentine's buntings from jane because my non-crafty self just knew i wouldn't get around to making one before our vacay!

speaking of valentine's... tis the season for valentine's candy taking over my life! in the name of all things sugary, sweet tarts are my go-to these days! it must be the baby because i'm not typically a sugary candy type of girl (now, chocolate is a diff story...)! target just got their v-day candy out, so it's possible these will be a staple in our house for the next couple weeks!

i stumbled upon a couple blogs lately that have 100% made their way into my regular blogroll! i love finding new blogs that are informative or just plain fun to read!

angela lanter at hello gorgeous is my new go-to beauty blogger! she's married to matt lanter (an actor), so she's randomly going to red carpet events & such, but she's entertaining to read & watch (lots of videos on there lately) and she consistently introduces me to new products that i've never even heard of. love that!

my other new fav is katie bower at bower power. if you are a fan of young house love, you will 100% be a fan of katie, but for some reason, it took me years to give her a try. definitely regretting that now! katie posts about mom life & baby stuff, but mostly home stuff (she & her cute hub reno their house). i feel like we would totally be friends in real life, so that makes it fun to read and she has some seriously good ideas, too!

and, last but certainly not least... you may remember me posting about my dramatic mascara problem a few months ago! if not, you can read about it here & here. well, i am here to report that after about 5 months of using the maybelline colossal mascara, i can hardly remember how much i loved my lancome goodness! crazy, huh? and at about 1/5 of the cost, my wallet is in full agreement that it was a good move! since it's been several months, i feel like i can legitimately recommend this mascara to others now! the wand is thick like lancome or diorshow and it goes on great! it's definitely love at this point!

are you guys gonna check out any of things?? i strongly suggest you do... not that i'm biased or anything! ;)

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

having a two year old is, in my opinion, one of the best things ever! he is 100% turning into a little man which kind of breaks this mama's heart, but it's so fun to see him learn & grow, that i don't stay too depressed for long! lately, holden has been doing some seriously hilarious things and i just so badly want to put these months and years in a box that i can pull out and relive any time i want! yes, i'm aware that sounds really odd... but they really do "grow up so fast".

my sweet boy is still a cuddler like no other. every morning, i get him up (he's still in a crib & will stay in a crib until when the baby comes, as far as i can tell), change his dipe and we have almost the same conversation every. single. day. while i'm changing him.

"mama sit."
"oh, you wanna sit with mama?"
"yeah. on da couch."
"ok, you can sit with mama on the couch."
"i watch show. i wanna watch do-wa (dora)."
"ok, we can watch some dora."
"and we cuddle."
"yes, baby, we will cuddle."

it's heart-melting and tender in every possible way! he's also become slightly bossy these days telling me where to sit, what to eat, what to play with (if we are playing together), etc. it must be a pretty common toddler-ism because my niece did the same thing a year ago. it's pretty funny!

one thing that is blowing my mind lately is how much stinkin stuff this kid remembers! he wakes up from his nap talking about something we saw 3 days ago or will tell me who and what he played with at church, whether or not they went to the play place and one time he told me he cried during class at church (which never happens and then the teacher confirmed that it happened that day). he has also been telling me how to get places while we're driving. if i tell him we are going to grandma's house, he tells me where to turn & such. and he constantly points out places we go regularly (grandpa's car lot, target, chick fil a, etc).

"yesh" is holden's fav response to things these days. "do you want a snack?" "yesh". grant & i are getting a big kick out of that!

at this point, i doubt that holden has any clue what the baby in mama's belly is going to mean for him or what i am even talking about when i say that. i will ask him where the baby is and he will lift up my shirt and find my belly and has even kissed my belly (with prompting), but his world is gonna be flipped upside down and he has no idea! we are on the hunt for names for baby 2.0 and the other day, i asked holden to say one of the names and my heart melted into a puddle when he said it. it was seriously the cutest thing ever!

the other night, while driving, grant asked holden "are you a baby?" and holden sharply responded with "no, i'm a boy!"! what? how does he even know that??? and why would he break my heart like that?

another thing that h says regularly is 'hey!' with major umph. as in, every time he says it, I can't help but start singing 'I don't think you're right for him... hey... look at what might have been' (the lumineers song)! i totally crack myself up. whatever! but recently, holden will say 'hey' if we're tickling him, if he's pouting and we look at him, pretty much anytime it'd be funny to say it, he says it. and it's always in the right context! something that he's been saying that isn't quite right is when he says 'because' or 'because why?'. "holden, why aren't you going night night?" "because why?"... it's amusing, to say the least!

it's possible that my urge to jot these things down is stemmed from the reality that my baby isn't going to be the only baby in a few short months. we are beyond overjoyed to be adding to our family, but part of me feels like i will never have enough one on one time with my sweet holden crew! mamas of two, three, four... please tell me this is normal!

Monday, January 27, 2014

as we slowly prepare & get our ducks in a row for the arrival of our new babe in july, i can't help but think about several things that i didn't have or need with holden that i would really, really like and appreciate having as we move to a fam of 4! we moved from florida to indiana when holden was 6 wks old, so i didn't get the enjoyment of putting together a nursery for him prior to his arrival. well, as the cards have played out, we will most likely be moving either when i am a super pregnant this time or with a newborn yet again. imagine my excitement... regardless of the chaos that i'm sure the next 6 months will hold, i am choosing to focus on a) the amazing gift of life that trumps the chaos, and b) all the new things i totally would love to splurge on for this baby! hey, if i'm gonna be homeless (not really... slight exaggeration), i might as well look cute, right? :)

with holden, we had this chicco travel system and i loved it 100%! we plan to use the same carseat this go-round, but will probably get rid of the stroller. a double stroller is something that just makes sense for us since it isn't super uncommon that holden would rather ride in the stroller than walk (thank god! makes things so much easier usually!). the main stroller i have my eye on (based on a handful of good friends' recommendations) is the city mini double.

isn't she purrty?? the functions of this stroller far outweigh the brand name aspect, at least i think so. the stroller can collapse so easily & folds virtually flat (not taking up a lot of room in the trunk), is lightweight, has a huge sunshade, is a side-by-side but can still fit through all doorways & the list goes on!

another option is the contours option lt double. i haven't read as much about this stroller, but the seats can switch around to all different varieties making it a stroller that would undoubtedly grow with us as a family. i chose the pic that shows it with a chicco carseat since that's what we have, but where the infant seat is, there's typically an identical seat as the front one that can go forwards, backwards, etc. i love how big that basket is (which is my main hesitation w the city mini).

ok, moving on! something that i didn't really realize existed until long after i had holden is the ever-so-wonderful rock & play! i think the main purpose is to kind of act like a basinet in mom & dad's room until it's time to move the babe to their own room. not by choice, but holden slept in my arms for the first 8 weeks (he hated his pack n play that we intended to use as his crib in florida... then we moved in with my in-laws and there was a bunch of family home visiting for christmas, so there wasn't an extra room for holden... then we went to minnesota for christmas and there wasn't an extra room there either). long story short, i didn't know of a good option, was running on little sleep anyways and he only slept while held, so i didn't put much thought into it. well... when we got home from minnesota, h was 8 weeks old and we set up a spare room at my in-laws and he was moved to his own bed. and it was glorious!!!! with this next baby, i don't have a set plan of where i want he/she to sleep and for how long, but a rock & play is a no brainer at least for the first few weeks while they're in our room!

as many families do, when the second baby comes along, they make the move from a small suv or car to a mini van. although i fought this process for awhile (really pushing for a tahoe or explorer), a mini van really has become something i'm pretty excited about! the sliding doors, extra room, lift tailgate... ah, it makes me just so happy thinking about it! and that's not even to mention the convenience if it's pouring rain and just throwing the kids in the van and climbing in with them! we haven't gone and test driven any vans yet, but based on exterior esthetics, i'm leaning towards a honda odyssey or a toyota sienna in maybe black, navy or gray. we will 100% do something used (my FIL has a used car dealership afterall!), so it'll just depend on what is available when we want to buy (probably this spring-no later than may, hopefully)!

the last thing on my "must have" list for baby 2.0 is a new diaper bag. with holden, i had this timi & leslie bag (above) that i liked for the most part, but it was literally falling apart by the time i stopped using it (h was around 9 mos-a year). it certainly wasn't the most expensive bag i've ever bought (it was right around $150), but it definitely didn't hold up like i hoped a $150 diaper bag would. so, this time, i feel i'm a little less 'my diaper bag has to be chic and not look like a diaper bag whatsoever' and more 'i'd like a bag that doesn't scream diaper bag, but is sturdy, functional and not gonna break the bank'. so, here's a few options that i've found without searching too hard.

this sausalito bag is from pottery barn! who knew they made fabulous diaper bags?? it's definitely bigger than it appears (almost 22 inches in length) and the bottom leather portion zips open to store the changing pad, diapers, etc. at $130 on sale, it's not a farfetched option, but my hesitation is that i haven't seen it in person and would have to drive to indianapolis to return it if i hated it.

this skip hop chelsea bag reminds me of the type of bag i was looking for when i was pregnant with holden, but is less expensive and looks waaaay more functional. it's right at $100 on amazon, which i think is a great price point! with all those exterior pockets, it kind of reminds me of the super popular 31 bag, but is way more fashionable AND has a top zipper so things won't constantly fall out.

so, i think that about sums up my must-haves for baby t 2.0! please, please, please leave suggestions or advice of things i need/ don't need, if you've tried/ have any of these things and any other things i should check out!!!

Friday, January 24, 2014

wow! it's been a good while since i've done a high 5 for friday post! since i'm getting back into the swing of blogging and hopefully gonna stick with it for good, i wanted to do one of these posts (they're always good for me to reflect on the week & find 5 things that were a blessing, fun, etc)!

5. holden has been pretty sick all week (don't worry that's not a peak of my week!), but because of him not feeling well, we have been major homebodies. sometimes, weeks like this drive me crazy and sometimes, they come at just the right time and i am beyond grateful! this week, it was a blessing! i think h is finally feeling better this am (after a fun diarrhea and vomiting fun-filled night wed night), and we are all just hoping his fun little bug doesn't feel the need to take grant or i down too! here's some sweet moments h & i have had this week!

special treat w my boy: popcorn

coffee thief! don't worry... he just likes to smell it!

grocery shopping in the frozen tundra!

4. i am just a few days shy of 4 mos pregnant and will feel so accomplished when i make it to that milestone! i definitely feel like my belly is pooching much quicker than with holden. it feels silly to me to need maternity shirts already and i haven't been able to bring myself to wear a shirt with cinching on the side already, but my normal shirts are definitely riding up in the front and it's starting to become an issue!

3. the house we currently live in had a requirement of living in it for a year (which we hit just before christmas), so the hunt is on for our next reno house. i'm definitely not as nervous this time since we have one under our belts (and grant has done several with my FIL and BIL), but it's still nerve-wracking!!! anyways, we submitted an offer on another government-owned home and are hoping for the best (last time, i think we put offers on 4-6 homes before we got an accepted offer at the price we wanted to pay)! this home is 500 sq ft larger than our current home, so it would be an amazing step up in the world, but definitely not our dream home! fingers crossed!

2. I don't know about you, but something I'm super pumped for is how full my dvr is gonna be come sunday night!!! first, it's sean & catherine's bachelor wedding, then it's the grammy's and there's also a new kardashian's on! my sweet hub might just have to leave me in peace do I can take over the tv allll nighhhht lonnnnng! hey, it's been football game after football game every sunday for weeks on end!

1. I've been doing quite a lot of online shopping lately (mostly old navy since they sell maternity online, but not in stores). so, pretty much every day for the last week, we've gotten at least one package and it feels like christmas! i order almost everything in 2 sizes to ensure one of them will work & just take back all the extras! ptl for fedex & ups these days! just sayin! >no pic needed... just imagine an entryway full of boxes!<

hope y'all had a fab week! link up w us & tell us your top 5's of the week!!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

hey hey! it's wednesday, which clearly means we all survived yet another manic monday and are one step closer to friday! and all the stay-at-home-mama's all resound with a big 'so what!'. am i right or am i right??? ha! actually, my sweet hub has had a break with his business a little lately, which means we have actually shared a few meals this past week and got him home for more than just a couple bedtimes! ptl! i'm linking up with shannon to post some of my 'so what's'! this is one of my fav link-ups cause it's slightly passive aggressive, but super fun and relatable to read!

-so what if i've needed a pedicure for a solid 2 months (hello, awful midwestern rough, dry, winter feet!)... we are going to the bahamas in like a week and i'm holding out for that sweet moment where my nasty feet hit that bubbly water goodness and all will be well with the world again!

-so what if i'm only 15 weeks pregnant, i'm feeling large & in charge. and it's only gonna get worse from here on out, folks! (i do feel the need to say that i haven't gained any weight since being pregnant, but i'm not quite sure how that's possible when my ta-ta's and belly are significantly larger!!)

-so what if i've been buying lip products from target like they're going out of style and returning the ones that don't quite fit the bill. i spend loads of moolah at that store and they only make me feel guilty for returning them about 30% of the time. lipstick is expensive, guys, and if it's not the right color, texture or whatever else, i ain't keeping it!

-so what if we ran out of milk over the weekend mainly because i baked choc chip cookies and needed a nice, tall glass of milk to compliment those fresh, gooey, chocolatey bites of heaven! holden woke up saturday morning pretty upset that i couldn't refill his sippy, but it was worth every whine! don't worry... he had enough milk to last him til lunch and we made a target run amidst the snowstorm to get him his crack!

-so what if holden has been taking the shortest naps ever (only an hour) for days now and it's making me straight crazy. that kid needs his sleep and his mama needs a break from toddler nonsense for more than an hour (cause, let's be honest... I always bank on at least two hours, so the first 30-45 min are relaxing & a waste of time!)!!!!!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

through this 21 day fast, i have been intentional about only listening to worship music and music that will continually focus my thoughts on the lord. i stumbled upon this song and video through my weekly mom encouragement email from thrive and fell in love. this girl's voice, her presence, these lyrics. i just love it all.

go ahead and have a listen! i pray you will feel god's sweet presence while you listen!

ps- i'm curious if i've missed the boat in how great this song is (mainly cause it's not on spotify, which is my go-to) or if it's a 'best kept secret' kind of deal that needs to be shared!

Monday, January 20, 2014

the brand spankin new stella & dot spring line just launched and it's beyond fabulous! i am in love with the bright colors that spring & summer always bring and look forward to the fresh feeling that these seasons bring! it just makes me want to deep clean every nook & cranny of my house, bake seasonal goodies (ie all the amazing valentine's desserts i can't seem to stop pinning!) and buy all the bright new clothes that do my hair/complexion a major favor!

the very first item i saw from the spring 14 line was the fleurette statement necklace and, let me tell you, this baby does not disappoint! the colors and design of it are right on par with j crew, banana, etc! i love this necklace dressed up or totally toned down w a casual gray tee & skinny jeans!

in the fall, s&d introduced me to the wonderfulness that is versatile jewelry with the ever-so-wonderful sutton necklace. well, this spring, they debuted two more sutton options and i fell head over heels! these necklaces are definitely an investment, however, they are literally like 5 necklaces in one if you count all the ways it can be worn! the sutton-green is so fun for spring and i just know the sutton-white would be a winner with every single girl's wardrobe!

one of the best decisions that s&d made a few years ago was to add a handbag line! and i'm not lying when i say that each & every one of their handbags are 1 million percent amazing! the getaway bag, especially in this new ikat print is to die for! these bags are perfect for traveling w littles, flying, vacation, overnight trips, etc! i love love love the expandable option! so versatile!

the norah collection was the first sneak peak we saw of the fab new line and i fell in love with the bright yellow of these norah chandaliers! yellow is one of those colors that can be such a neutral in my opinion! these earrings look amazing, but aren't too heavy and offer a fresh take on an otherwise plain outfit! those are all good things in my book!

did any of these pieces make you swoon?? :) i'm such a sucker for pretties! do you have a favorite accessory line that i need to check out? let a sister know in the comments!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

my church is currently in the middle of a 21 day fast to kick off the new year, find focus, clarity where needed, direction, confirmation, you name it. our pastor coordinates the fast, but then directs the congregation to fast whatever they see fit in their life for that season. and i love that. lots of people are doing the daniel's fast (only fruits, veggies & nuts), some people are giving up pop, some people are doing a spending fast (only buying the bare essentials) and there's a handful of people doing a social media fast.

we had a service last sunday night which was only worship music and praying for specific areas (health, finances, loved ones not serving the lord, etc). i didn't feel a clear direction of what the lord would want me to fast during this 21 days, so i was really hoping the service would solidify that. well, although i was a blubbery, crying mess by the end of it, i still didn't have a certainty.

i ran into a friend after service and we started talking about what she was giving up: facebook. while she explained why she was giving that up, i began to rambol all the reason why i couldn't possibly give that up: i would feel so disconnected, i wouldn't know about playdates, i wouldn't know what was going on with different moms groups i'm a part of, etc. and then she looked at me and said 'those are all the reasons you probably need to give it up'. ouch. and she couldn't have been more right.

social media provides such a false sense of community. if i see pictures of other people and read about what they're doing at any given moment, it makes me feel like i had a connection with them. it makes me think that i don't necessarily need to call up a friend to see how she's doing because i read about her day on twitter or saw where she was and with who on instagram.

the fast just begun monday, so i'm literally only 2 days in, BUT... i cannot even begin to tell you how liberating it has been! it took some time, but i finally don't feel attached to my phone. it hasn't been the first thing i've grabbed when i find myself bored. i also don't sit and wonder about what i'm missing out on (which was something i expected). and... if for no other reason, giving this up has provided me with seriously HOURS of extra sleep at night. i know i'm not the only one who would sit in bed and scroll through my beloved facebook before finally putting the phone down and going to sleep.

social media, in and of itself, was my biggest hindrance in being productive. it also was likely my biggest hindrance in having joy that only comes from the lord! and that's a scary place to be in, friends!

i know people will step away from facebook here and there for seasons and i've never been that person. i didn't see the necessity of it and genuinely couldn't stand the thought of missing a pregnancy announcement, funny story about my niece or anything else. i was attached to the gratification that social media provided.

so, in case you aren't super familar with the idea of fasting... it's not meant to just be something you have to "give up" for god or he'll be mad at you. actually, that's not it at all. it's about your heart and cutting something out of your life for a period where you can focus on the lord. i've spent hours over the past couple days (that i would've been scrolling through my phone) meditating on the word, worshipping and praying for all sorts of things. it's been beyond refreshing to unplug and fill that time with things that glorify god!

even after just a couple days, i feel renewed and closer to god than i have been in months. and what a blessing that has been for me, my husband and holden!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

through my lack of blogging lately, I can honestly say that I often thought of lots of 'so whats', but never got around to posting them. and for what it's worth, know that even if I'm not physically blogging, I'm 100% mentally blogging! anyone else do that??

anyways, here's what I'm saying 'so what!' to today!

-so what if people keep complimenting me on my short lil bob haircut, I'm growing this nonsense out! it was poor planning to chop my hair off into a hair cut that really can't afford to not be styled daily when I am pregnant & need my pony tail!!!

-so what if I've been praying for more & more snow while the rest of indiana is hoping for the opposite! if it's gonna be cold anyways, we may as well have snow, people!

-so what if every room of our house needs picked up & deep cleaned, yet I'm sitting on the couch.

-so what if I get annoyed when I order a caramel frappucinno w extra caramel drizzle and they don't do extra drizzle!!! how is it that complicated?! this prego needs her drizzle and at $5 a pop, I deserve a lil extra caramel!

-so what if I'm a little more dramatic than normal... I am pregnant after all!

-so what if I still have a handful of christmas cards that are addressed, but still haven't been sent. at this point, if seems a little silly to send them. would a 'better late than never :)' note on the envelope make it more acceptable? probably not!

-so what if my vacuum (yes, the one that needs to be used in every dirty room of this house) never seems to be put away. it sits in this corner of our living room all the time. drives me crazy, but it's a pain to put it away when I should be using use it regularly!